Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Preparations for Insurrection
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I came up to the first underground level for the search.
As soon as I did, Yoon Cheol-woo grinned wickedly and asked,
"Mr. Park Daebu. Do you happen to have a driver's license?"
"...Yeah. But it's been gathering dust in a drawer."
"Then hop in the back seat here."
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It was a car. An SUV, no less.
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So he wasn't making me drive.
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Honestly, that was probably the smarter call than handing the wheel to an amateur.
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As soon as I got in the car, I could see the other search team members tense up a bit.
From here on out, we'd be weaving straight through monster territory.
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The guy in the driver's seat gave a quick briefing.
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"Our target is the big supermarket one block away. It's pretty large, so there should be plenty of food. Enough for everyone here to last at least a month, no problem."
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"Everyone here... you mean just us? Or does that include the people down below too?"
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The search team member gave a faint smile at my question.
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"Heh... Sharp eyes. That depends on the situation, doesn't it? Say we successfully raid the supermarket but things go south and we can't make it back... That's a perfectly plausible scenario. Assuming the place is in decent shape, of course."
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Got it.
These guys are planning to hole up in that supermarket if things get dicey. Abandon everyone here in the process.
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"Of course, we'll try to come back here if at all possible. After all, there are things at this place that the supermarket doesn't have. Women, for instance. Female soldiers, say."
"Kekeke..."
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The search team members in the car chuckled along.
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"To prepare for any unfortunate mishaps like that, we've stocked up on as many guns and bullets as we could. Enough that our lady soldiers might find themselves a bit 'short' on firepower."
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"Hoo."
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I could guess what these people were scheming.
Monopolize the food and supplies, then take control by force.
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That's exactly what I had in mind.
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"But won't heading out like this put us at risk from the monsters?"
"Of course. That's why we only brought brave souls like you, Godfather."
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The driver flashed a meaningful smile at my question.
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"To let you in on a little secret now—we've got an ability user among us."
"An ability user?"
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I rolled down the window, and outside, a guy in a hat was slathering something on the car.
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"...What's that?"
"Paint. Bulletproof paint."
"Bulletproof paint...?"
"Coat it on, and it can block a couple of monster attacks. We tested it ourselves, sacrificing about three guys in the process."
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If it could block monster attacks, it was pretty much an upgraded version of Do A-yoon's ability.
The downside was having to apply it manually.
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Come to think of it, they mentioned three deaths during the earlier search.
Probably sacrificed dissenters under the guise of testing.
I suspected as much, but right now it was just a hunch.
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Maybe that's why they brought me along instead of leaving me with the others. In case they needed a scapegoat when things went wrong.
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"Glad I came, then."
"Right?"
"Speaking of which, I actually have an ability too."
"Huh?"
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The driver's eyes went wide.
Of course, I had no intention of showing off the duplication power.
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⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Wall Clinging ability has been activated. "My ability's nothing special. Just this."
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I activated it and pressed my phone to my palm, lifting it up.
It stuck like a magnet.
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"Wh-what the...?"
"Seems like it increases friction on my palms. Nothing big, but handy for carrying stuff."
"Oh, carrying things? Pfft, lame."
"Eh... could be useful, I guess."
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The team members who'd perked up lost interest. Figured it was a lame power.
No threat to them, so they dismissed it.
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"Won't be much help otherwise, but I'll handle the carrying if you want."
"Ah... sure, sure. Any help's good."
"Yeah, that could work. Mind loading up the cargo? We were short on hands anyway."
"You got it."
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Now I had an excuse to handle all the goods.
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"Alright, let's roll out!"
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We pulled out of the underground parking garage right away. It had been ages since I'd seen sunlight, but the paint coating most of the vehicles made it hard to see outside.
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Grrrrowl──!
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A monster's roar echoed from beyond the building. Trauma hit everyone—they all ducked low.
But the car kept moving without stopping.
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Thump!
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The vehicle jolted as it ran over something.
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"Probably a corpse."
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The driver stayed calm, like he'd done this a few times before.
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"Please, please don't notice us..."
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Prayers came from the back, begging the monsters not to spot us.
Even with the paint, nobody wanted a head-on clash. Not even me.
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Luckily, we made it to the supermarket without incident.
The place was empty.
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"...Looks like monsters got here."
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A hole punched through the ceiling. Debris shattered everywhere. Corpses and bloodstains littered the floor.
I instantly understood why the supermarket—a prime evacuation spot during disasters—was deserted.
Open to the sky above, bodies all around. No way anyone could stay here.
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"Guess we grab what we can and go."
"Agreed. Fan out and load up!"
"Yes, sir!"
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The search team scattered. They grabbed carts two at a time. I took one and headed inside.
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Time for some duplication grinding.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "All packed up?"
"Yes!"
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It took a while. Naturally, even I couldn't scour the whole place. I skipped useless stuff too.
Frozen foods or anything needing cooking? Useless in this situation, so I passed.
Essentials only; skipped the rest.
Surprisingly, there was a small pharmacy inside. I duplicated whatever meds looked useful.
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I was in charge of loading their haul into the car. Didn't forget to duplicate along the way.
The team handed everything off to me and stepped out for smokes, chatting among themselves.
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"How was the fresh produce?"
"Ruined. Way too late. Veggies, meat, fish... all spoiled."
"The rest is mostly stuff with short shelf lives too. Needs refrigeration... After a week, only cans will be edible."
"Ugh... Even instant noodles and snacks?"
"Those are better, but calories per volume are too low. We'll grab 'em next time."
"No choice, then. Take what we got and go. Feels risky lingering."
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They called it "what we got," but it was still a ton. No room left in the SUV.
I barely squeezed in myself. Couldn't even close the door properly—had to hold it shut by hand.
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"Going slow... Please, no monsters..."
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Say that, and they show up.
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Grrrrowl──!!
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Boom──!
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The car launched into the air, spilling food everywhere inside.
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"Whoa!!"
"The food! Save the food!"
"Crazy, how?! Just run it over!"
"No!"
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Chaos erupted as a massive monster loomed outside the window.
First time seeing one up close like this.
Mouth split five ways, tentacles whipping at us.
Damn, ugly bastard.
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Thud!!
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"It hit the car!"
"It's fine! We've got paint!"
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The paint held—the ceiling dented but didn't shatter.
The driver floored it. Food spilled with every jolt.
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Splat!
Thud!
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"Ahh! My cans!"
"Ditch what you have to! Can't stop!"
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The tentacle monster crushed a fallen can underfoot.
Foul stench and weird goo poured out.
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Bet that thing's why the food spoiled so fast.
Its tentacles dripped slime, reeking to high heaven.
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BOOM──!!
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"Arghhh!!"
"Please, just let us survive! Please!"
"Hold on tight!"
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We punched through the mayhem and barely made it into the underground garage.
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Sssizzle...
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The tentacle monster hesitated at the entrance, refusing to follow.
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"D-did we make it?"
"Phew..."
"Check the goods! Check the goods!"
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The guys snapped back to reality and inspected the haul.
Canned goods and food in boxes and bags.
Some losses, but most survived.
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"We're good! Plenty left!"
"This'll last us a week easy."
"Phew... We lived."
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As they caught their breath, I let out a sigh of relief too.
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Nailed it.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ 1+1 ability has been activated. I successfully duplicated even the leftovers they thought they'd saved.
Bonus: Dumped the originals, pretending the monster trashed them.
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"Urk..."
"Hey! Hey!"
"He's hit! Tentacle pierced his gut!"
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The hat guy who'd applied the paint vomited blood and went limp.
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"Wha...?"
"The paint..."
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The paint on the car vanished clean, like it was never there.
No need to explain—everyone would get it now.
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Items made with abilities disappear when the user dies.
And the food still here? All my duplicates.
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If I die, all this food vanishes.
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Now everything was in place.